But ongoing restrictions mean pubs will sell over 1 million pints less during the game than if all restrictions had been lifted on 21st June
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) hopes that England fans will buy 5.25 million pints on Tuesday 29th June when the Three Lions take on Germany in the knockout stages of UEFA EURO 2020.
However, the trade association warned that the boost to pubs from beer sales during the match would be greatly altered by the ongoing restrictions still in place on the trade, including one metre plus social distancing, no standing and the rule of six.
The trade association said a number of its members had reported that beer sales were lower than they had hoped during the Euros games shown so far. Ongoing restrictions that greatly alter the experience of watching UEFA EURO 2020 at the pub and limits on the number of customers that pubs can host have impacted beer sales during the tournament and will continue to do so.
Because of this, the BBPA estimates that beer sales during the England vs Germany match will be 1.3 million pints lower than if the game was being shown in pubs without restrictions.
The trade association said this would result in a loss of revenue to pubs in England of over £5 million during the game alone. Money that could be vital to the survival and recovery of brewers and pubs alike.
Overall, the trade association hopes that 8 million pints will be sold on Tuesday 29th June, with 5.25 million of those being served during the match itself.
A recent survey of 1,000 pub goers by the British Beer & Pub Association and KAM Media found that 85% of pub-going football fans believe the current restrictions will negatively impact their experience of watching UEFA Euro 2020 at the pub this summer. Half said they would be more likely to watch UEFA Euro 2020 at their pub if all restrictions on pubs were lifted, despite 91% of football fans saying they missed watching matches at the pub during lockdown.*
As more and more individuals across the UK receive their vaccination, the BBPA is urging the Government to ensure no further delays to the roadmap and remove all restrictions for pubs on July 19th.
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said:
“No matter the occasion, England versus Germany is always a big match. We hope England fans will buy over 5 million pints when watching the Three Lions take on Germany in this nail-biting knockout fixture.
“Whilst that is a very welcome boost to our trade, it is over 1 million fewer pints sold than if all the restrictions on pubs had been lifted on 21st June as per the original roadmap.
“We know many pubs haven’t experienced the boost to their trade which they’d hoped for from the Euros. No standing and limits on group sizes, as well as social distancing, are severely reducing the number of people who can enjoy the Euros at the pub.
“With that said, there is still no better place to watch live sport on the telly than at the pub. I implore Three Lions fans to support England and the pub by cheering on the Three Lions at their local!
“To secure our pubs for future tournaments and national occasions like the Euros, there can be no further delays to the lifting of restrictions. On July 19th all restrictions on pubs must be lifted. We are counting down the days to freedom for our pubs.”
